Bill Maher: Political correctness worse than ever

Comedian Bill Maher bemoans political correctness but sees a bounty of jokes inspired by politicians.

Will Democrat Hillary Clinton run for president?

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"I have no doubt — unless she's been faking it for 67 years," says Maher, who brings his stand-up act to Orlando this weekend. "Hillary's always good for comedy. She wears pantsuits and she's married to Bill Clinton."

Maher sees comic possibilities in the Republicans. "Jeb Bush, obviously being the brother who did not get the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, will be great for comedy because of associations with the Bush family," Maher said.

"Chris Christie had Lap-Band surgery, and he's still fat," Maher said of the New Jersey governor. "Chris Christie 1, Lab-Band 0. He's as big as a house. People will have to deal with that."

"I'm putting my dark-horse money on him," Maher said. "Others have problems with the base or the tea party. Both like him."

Maher's take-no-prisoners style flourishes on HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher" at 10 p.m. Fridays. He performs at 8 p.m. Sunday at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando. Tickets range from $39.50 to $110.

"Real Time," in its 13th season, was recently renewed for two more seasons.

"It means I get to keep eating. I really appreciate it," he said. "When I started 'Politically Incorrect' in 1993, if you'd said I'd still be doing the show, I'd say you're crazy. The years roll on, and I make enemies, and I stay on the air."

What can his Orlando audience expect?

"They can expect to laugh their ass off. That's what I am doing this for," he said. "The guys who I started with stopped doing comedy. The few of us now getting near or over 60" -- Maher is 59 -- "you gotta say we're doing it because we love it. There's no way to have more fun with your pants on than making people laugh. That's why I do it. I love to see America."

The impressions he gains from his stand-up travels influence "Real Time."

"We did something last year talking about it's not really North and South, red and blue that's the dividing line. It's city and country," Maher said. "In the deep red states, the cities look like everywhere else. They have Pottery Barn, Thai food."

He said it's never easy to go against the grain in doing comedy. "But I feel like that's always been my bond with the audience," he said. "I don't pull a punch. Sometimes I feel like I'm able to pull them over on my side on issues. They used to boo me when I talked about Islam. I'm speaking up for liberal values and that's what I am. I'm a proud liberal."

Political correctness is "worse than ever because of the Internet," he said. "I'd guess you have to say I was a failure. I did not succeed in turning the country away from undue political correctness."

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His recent comment that socialism created the middle class "didn't go down with the right," he said. "I can always expect the headline on Fox News on Saturday to be something 'Pig Maher,' their clever name for me."

He calls his socialism comment undeniable. "We can debate whether it's the right thing to go back," he said. "We can't debate what happened after World War II. We instituted socialism, we taxed the rich to 91 percent, we transferred money to other people. It was the G.I. Bill."

A new G.I. Bill is the least we could do for today's veterans, he adds. "It would be terrific for economy," he said.

Yet he sees a problem with any such activism. "We have become a flag decal country," he said. "We think we do something. We put a decal on our car. We watch 'American Sniper.' That doesn't make a difference. Political correctness is just about patting yourself on the back, making yourself feel good."

Maher says many Americans don't know history, and for that reason politicians can say anything.

Still, he is unwavering in his support for Barack Obama and praises the way the president handles crises without flying off the handle.

"Believe me, I wouldn't have given him a million bucks if I didn't believe he was the right guy," Maher said. "We narrowly averted a depression, he saved the auto industry, he's gotten us out of wars, he gave the county health care. I wish we could have him a third term."